$600 Cooperative Leaders Fellowship

The Cooperative Development Foundation, a Washington, DC foundation working with NCBA CLUSA, runs an eight-month fellowship for new and emerging leaders in cooperatives, credit unions and mutual insurance across North America. Fellows meet in person twice, in Louisiana and in Washington, DC, join monthly webinars with people from across the co-op movement, and build a capstone project. Each cohort has at most 22 fellows.

What you get:

• A $600 honorarium
• A travel stipend of up to $1,000 in total for both in-person events, paid by reimbursement
• Shared hotel accommodation and most meals at the two in-person gatherings
• Registration for the Co-op IMPACT Conference, CDF's Cooperative Hall of Fame and a one-day course from the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary's University
• A $30 metro card for Washington, DC
• Co-op tours in Louisiana and Washington, DC, networking events and expert webinars
• Up to five hours of optional one-on-one mentorship with CLS alumni, and a place in the CLS alumni network

What you'll do:

• Join a virtual kickoff on April 7, 2027 and monthly two-hour webinars through December

• Must live in North America
• Must fit at least one category: an emerging leader in cooperatives, credit unions or mutual insurance aged 18 to 35; new to cooperatives with fewer than five years of co-op work; or a current post-secondary student of any age
• Must attend both in-person events
• Must be pursuing a career in, working with or studying cooperatives, including credit unions and mutuals